Rolling toy



J. DAVIS ROLLING TOY June 21, 1949.

Filed Jan. 15, 1948 ATTORNEY Patented June 21, 1949 ROLLING TOY Joseph Davis, Arlington, N. J., assignor to Joseph Davis Plastics (30., Arlington, N. J., a corporation of New Jersey Application January 15, 1948, Serial No. 2,501

4 Claims. 1 This invention relates to improvements in toys, particularly to rolling toys. It is the object of this invention to provide a rolling toy having novel structural features whereby, when the toy is rolled, unique optical effects are obtained.

These and other advantageous objects, which will appear from the drawings, and from the description hereinafter, are accomplished by the structure of my invention, of which embodiments are illustrated in the drawings. It will be apparent, from a consideration of said drawings, and the following description, that the invention may be embodied in other forms suggested thereby, and such other forms as come within the scope of the appended claims are to be considered within the scope and purview of the instant invention.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is an exploded view of a rolling toy embodying the invention, in exploded or disassembled condition,

Fig. 2 is a side elevational rolling toy,

Fig. 3 is an end elevational view thereof, taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2, and

Fig. 4 is a schematic view illustrating the movement of the parts in the operation of the toy.

As shown in the drawings, the toy comprises a rotor I ll provided with medial vanes I2, I2 and having tapered ends I3, I 3. The rotor is posiview of the assembled tioned interiorly of a transparent roll shell I 4, the

latter havin convex ends I5, cave. If desired, the shell It the halves It, IS which may be secured together by cementing or other suitable means and which may be of any desired or convenient outline. For example, the said shell may be made in the form of a cylinder or other form having convex ends. The rotor is of a lesser length than the greatest length of the shell member interiorly. The greatest length of the shell member occurs longitudinally medially thereof and is indicated by the line 20. As the rotor I is of less length than the medial longitudinal line 20 of the shell interiorly thereof, and the ends I5, I5 of the shell I 5 are internally concave, the said rotor will normally rest at a plane below the horizontal longitudinal medial or center line 2| of said shell. As the ends I3, I3 of the rotor are tapered and terminate in an extremely small diameter, the said rotor will I5, internally con may be formed of revolution of the roll toy, tions of the rotor will be one.

2 translucent material so that the rotor may be viewed therethrough; the vanes I2, I2 of the latter are preferably colored, and may be contrastingly colored, so that the optical eifect obtained upon the rolling of the toy is unique and has considerable eye-appeal.

As the ends I5, I5 of the roll shell I4 are internally concave, the rotor apparently tends, when the roll toy has been brought to a stop after rotating, to rotate in an arc and then to settle in the crest of the arc. This is schematically illustrated in Fig. 4. The line 2| is a circumference line within an end I5 or I5 on which the rotor end normally rests, in the rotation of the shell I4. When the shell I4 is rotated and brought to rest, the rotor appears to rotate within an are 22, and, depending on the previous rate of rotation of the shell, etc., may have reciprocating rotation in said are more than once, finally settling in the apex of said arc, which apex point would correspond to the circumference line 2|. It will be understood that the are 22 of rotation of the rotor is repeated circumferentially within the convex ends equidistant from the medial line 20 to infinity. Three of such arcs are indicated in dotdash lines in Fig. 4. The rotor may be provided with guard discs I8, I8 secured thereto adjacent the tapered ends thereof, which, with the medial vanes I2, I2, stabilize the rotor and prevent accidential displacement thereof. The shell I4 may be provided with rails l1, II of greater diameter than the shell so that the toy will roll on said rails, if so desired.

Beads I9 may be positioned Within the roll shell to add a sound effect to the toy when rolled.

It is found that the toy above described presents unique optical effects in operation; the rotor appears to be well balanced by the provision of the medial vanes I2, I2 and guard discs I8, I8. It is found that the rotor rotates at a high rate of speed and in a smooth fashion pursuant to the invention above described.

The parts may be made of any suitable material it being found convenient to make the same (or at least the shell I4) of plastic materials, for which purpose the shell I4 may be made of halves I6, I5 which are mirror-images of each other. As above mentioned, the roll shell M may be formed as a cylinder or have any other medial section desired; the toy will operate just as efiiciently, as long as the ends I5, I5 secured to the medial portion of the roll shell are convex. The material of which the roll shell is made is preferably a transparent or translucent material so that the rotor may be clearly viewed therethrough.

.ternally concave ends therein,- .and: axially balanced rotor having' ends of. relatively. small diameter, said rotor being of substan- ..it .can roll about said maximum .said shell body may be rolled. tocause visible ro- The medial vanes l2, l2 are secured to the rotor Ill so as to lie in substantially the same general plane and are prefereably mirror images of each other so as to balance the rotor. They may be made of any desired or convenient outline, and in any desired or convenient color. The word color is usedrabove and in the claims to denote, and is defined. to mean, anything other than a transparency. Thus, if vanes of natural or artificial black, white, brown or other color or trans-: lucency, are provided, visible as such through the transparent shell body, they would come within the definition of coloredi-asusedrhereinand above noted.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:

1. A roll toy comprising a closed hollowtransparent shell body having oppositely disposed ina. longitudinally .tiallyless mass than the shell body, and of less length than the maximum. axis line between said oppositely disposed concave ends so asto have its small'diameter ends restwithin and freely roll onsaid oppositely disposed. concave ends below .said maximum axis line, the maximum radius of .saidrotor at any point between its ends being less than the distance from its axis to the shell body ,at. that point so as to permit the rotor. to. freely rotatasaid rotor includingcolored vanes secured thereto-and visible through the transparent shell body, said shell body including means uponwhich axis line whereby .tation of the rotor at a greater rate .of. rotation than said shell body.

2. .-A roll-toy comprising a closed hollow transparent shellbodyhaving oppositely disposed.in-" .ternally concave .ends. -and. axially balanced rotor. having ends. of. relatherein, a. longitudinally tively small-diameter, said. rotor being ,of sub.- stantially less mass. than the shellbody, said rotor beingof less length than the maximum. axisline between said oppositely disposedconcave ends-so as. to. have. its. smalldiameter .ends rest.within and freely roll. on. said oppositely disposedcon- .cave, ends below said maximum. axis line,. said rotor including. colored vanessecured theretoand visible through. the transparent. shell, body, and a pair of encircling parallel rail members secured exteriorly of said shell body at rightangles to said. maximum axis line, thecylinderdefined .by

the peripheries of said rail members entirelyenshell body so as to have closing said shell body, whereby said shell body may be rolled on said rail members to cause visible rotation of the rotor at a greater rate of rotation than the shell body.

3. A roll toy comprising a. closed hollow transparent ellipsoid shell body having internally concave. ends. therein, a longitudinally and axially 'balancederotor having ends of relatively small diameter, said rotor being of substantially less ;.mass than the shell body, said rotor being 01 less length than the major axis line of said ellipsoid its small diameter ends restwithinand-freely roll on said concave ends .zbBlowsaid-rnajoraxis line, the maximum radius ofssaid rotorat any point between its ends being less than the distance from its axis to the shell bodyatthat point, said rotor including multicolored vanes secured thereto and visible through the transparent shell body, whereby said shell bodymaybe rolled about the major axis to cause visiblerotation ofthe rotor. at a greater rate of rotation than said shell body.

4. .A roll. toy comprising a closed hollow transparentellipsoid shell body having internally con- .caveends therein, a longitudinally and axially balanced rotor having its ends of relatively small diameter, vsaid rotor being of substantially less mass .than the shellbody, said rotor being of less length .thanthe major axis line of said ellipsoid shell body so as to have its small diameter ends rest within. and .freely roll on said concave ends below said major axis line, the maximum radius of said: rotor; at any point between its ends being less tharr the distance from its axis to the shell body at that point,.said rotor including colored vanes secured thereto and visible through the transparent shell, and a pair of encircling parallel rail members secured exteriorly of said ellipsoid shell body" at right angles to its major axis, the diameter of said rail members being greater than the minor axis of said ellipsoid body, whereby the shell body may be rolled on said rail members to -cause visible' rotationof the rotor at a greater rate of rotation than said shell body.

JOSEPH DAVIS.

REFERENCES CITED The'Ifol-lowing.referenlces are of record in the file of" this patent:

.UNITED STATES PATENTS 

